THE first cup final of the season in the Soccer Site Malvern League saw the young Perowne Park Rangers side meet Ganglands in the President's Cup at New Road, Ledbury, on Sunday.

In front of a large crowd and on a bumpy pitch, it was Perowne Park Rangers who took the early initiative after winning the toss and choosing to kick up the slope.

In the second minute, Perowne skipper James Cale took an excellent free-kick 25 yards out and his shot seemed destined for the top corner. Ganglands' keeper Dean Watson pulled off what was to be the first in a series of superb saves during the game and tipped the ball over the bar.

In the fifth minute, Dan Geisler sent in a thunderous shot from 25 yards that beat Watson but narrowly cleared the bar. Ganglands had their first chance in the 11th minute when Wayne Cadmore turned well on the edge of the area but his shot went narrowly wide.

In the 13th minute Perowne Park Rangers took the lead with a well-taken goal. Stuart Greaves broke down the left and his pinpoint cross found Pete Jones on the edge of the six-yard box, who drilled his shot low into the left-hand corner of the net.

Geisler then broke clear in the 26th minute but somehow Dean Watson managed to get a hand to his chip shot and the ball was cleared.

In the 28th minute, Gordon Mansell volleyed just wide for Ganglands before Dean Watson pulled off another fine save, this time from Paul Maguire.

With Cadmore looking lively up front but not able to apply the finishing touch, Ganglands put the Perowne defence under a bit of pressure and keeper Paul Evans did well to fist a Stuart Preece corner off the line, which led to a series of corners which came to nothing.

Perowne Park increased their lead in the 40th minute when a brilliant through-ball from Phil Rowley dissected the Ganglands' defence and Stuart Greaves, who was having an excellent game, calmly put the ball past the advancing keeper.

Cadmore had the chance to pull a goal back in the 42nd minute when he burst through but he was denied by a good block from keeper Paul Evans.

The second-half saw Perowne lose influential midfielder Geisler from an injury received in the first few minutes of the game, which he had tried unsuccessfully to shrug off.

But following another good save from Watson, who punched an in-swinging James Cale corner against his own post where it rebounded to safety, it was Perowne who increased their lead in the 63rd minute when a corner from Ashley Banner was headed home by Peter Jones.

With Stuart Greaves giving Ganglands problems down the right, it seemed that the game was virtually over but Perowne reckoned without the Ganglands' determination and it went from 3-0 to 3-2.

First a mix-up in the Perowne defence in the 70th minute saw substitute Richard Taylor pull a goal back from close range. Then with Perowne in some disarray, another miscued clearance saw Cadmore find the back of the net from close range in the 75th minute.

With Perowne now under pressure and an equaliser looking a possibility, it was left to man-of-the-match Stuart Greave to deliver the killer blow for Perowne in the 85th minute when he latched onto a through ball and superbly volleyed home from 22 yards.

This gave Perowne their first trophy, which could be added to on Sunday when they visit Ledbury again to play Dilligaf United.

A point will give them the division two title.